Scrabble Spells Murder!
by kaleen1212
Summary: A Scrabble game is planted into Chief Robert T. Ironside's Computer. It is not long before the former Chief of Detectives realizes the words are clues to murders that are about to be committed.
1. Chapter 1

An all-new Ironside Episode: Scrabble Spells Murder!

A Scrabble game is planted into Chief Robert T. Ironside's Computer. It is not long before the former Chief of Detectives realizes the words are clues to murders that are about to be committed

I did not create Ironside or its characters. They are the creation of Collier Young. I did create the rest of the characters in order to tell this story.

All my Ironside fiction is written in the present rather than when the show was on the air. Each story follows a timeline. However, it does not necessarily follow the timeline of the show. They are written to stand-alone but will occasionally refer back to other stories.

Since IRONSIDE, expertly portrayed by the great Raymond Burr, was the name of the show, all my stories will feature Robert T. Ironside with the other characters supporting him as they did in the show.

I hope you enjoy this episode of Ironside. Please feel free to review. It is a writer's only pay for entertaining you.

Scrabble Spells Murder!

Chapter 01

Robert T. Ironside woke up on a Monday morning to a brightly lit bedroom. He looked out the window, noting that the sun was high in the sky. No doubt, it was nearly noon. He never slept much past six o'clock in the morning. He reached his right arm acrossed his body, picked up the alarm clock… eleven-forty five! He had set the alarm for six as he usually did.

Sleep had come quickly. It had been a long time since he had been as exhausted as he was after arriving home from a vacation in the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho with his brother from Los Angeles.* Vacations were supposed to be relaxing. A man was supposed to vacate his fast-pace work life, go somewhere serene, forget his troubles and leave all the office problems behind… except if the man's name was Robert T. Ironside.

It seemed every time Ironside took a vacation that hobgoblin known as the criminal element, followed him to make sure he could never experience the textbook meaning of serene.

The vacation to the Sawtooth Mountains had been no different. After four thousand years of serenity, the mountain turned angry in the form of an earthquake. If that had not been bad enough, Ironside and Mason were stalked through the woods by a maniac.

Chief Ironside had been torn up by a vicious wolverine and his brother suffered serious damage to his knee. So much for serene vacations, Ironside thought.

Still one important thing had come out of what was nearly the most disastrous vacation he had ever spent and he had experienced some disastrous vacations. He had gotten to know Katherine Denuerve better. After the trial ended, he had spent every waking hour with her for two weeks. He never dreamed he could feel so much for a woman again after his relationship with Barbara had ended… but he did. He supposed the attraction had been there long before he admitted or should he say before Katherine forced him to take notice. He once again looked forward to that part of his life outside the job.

Ironside looked around for his wheelchair. Mark had done it again. The chair had been pushed out of his reach. Ironside pulled himself into a sitting position. "Mark!" He listened for some movement in the main part of his office. He did not hear any.

A while back, his staff had talked him into moving his bedroom into one of the rooms they had not been using. Although he did not regret doing it as it had given him more privacy, especially as his relationship with Barbara had advanced. Yet, it was times such as this when it came as a disadvantage. When his bed was in the office, he got Mark's attention immediately as he was in the next room. Now, when Mark closed his bedroom door, Ironside sometimes had trouble getting his attention. This seemed to be one of them.

"Mark!" he bellowed. Where in the blazes was he? "Mark!"

The door to his bedroom opened and Eve walked into the room. "Mark is not here, Chief."

"Where is he?" Ironside demanded.

"He went down stairs to find our local computer whiz."

"Why in the hell didn't he move my chair closer to the bed before he left? How does he expect me to get out of this flaming bed?" he continued to roar.

"Chief, catching up on your sleep is supposed to put you in a better mood."

"I don't need to catch up on sleep. I just got back from vacation," he grumbled.

"Where you were torn up by a wolverine, I might add. If you had not needed the sleep then you would have awaken at six."

He did not want to get into a debate with his policewoman about his well-being. He had already wasted the entire morning sleeping while criminals still roamed the streets of his city. "Eve, just move my chair over here where I can get into it and then get out of my room."

She sighed. "So much for rest putting you in a better mood." She pushed his chair up to the side of his bed and left the bedroom.

Eve re-entered the office just as Ed was coming down the ramp. He looked around. "Where's the chief? Isn't he up yet?"

"Oh, he's up alright."

"Oh boy! Is his mood that bad?"

"Worse. Mark shut off his alarm and moved his chair out of his reach."

Ed chuckled. "The chief hates it when we, as he calls it, mother him."

That brought a smile from Eve. "You know, I think the only one that doesn't realize he is a cripple is the chief, himself."

"He's a proud man. It is hard for him to accept help from others. He appreciates it… even expects us to do it regardless of what he tries to make us believe."

"You weren't in his bedroom a few minutes ago."

Ed grinned. "Better you than me."

Smiling back at him, she said, "Coward." They both laughed.

Ironside wheeled out of his bedroom dressed in pajamas and a robe. He cringed as pain shot through his shoulder. He had taken a dose of pain medication the previous night and it and exhaustion had put him out almost immediately. "I am going to get into the shower. Since Mark doesn't seem to be working today, Eve, will you set out a suit for me?"

"Of course, Chief," she said walking toward his bedroom.

Ironside wheeled toward the bathroom when the door to his office opened. Commissioner Randall came in. "Dennis, whatever it is can wait. I need to get into the shower."

Randall looked at his watch. "Are you sick, Bob?"

"I feel fine. Mark shut off my alarm. Now if you will excuse me?"

"Wait a minute, Bob. I need to talk to you."

"Can't it at least wait until I have shaved and showered?" Ironside continued wheeling towards the bathroom.

Randall stepped in front of him. "No, Bob it cannot wait. I need to talk to you now."

"Ed, put on some coffee. If I can't get out of my pajamas, I would at least like my morning cup of coffee." He wheeled his chair down the ramp, slowing it as he went.

Randall checked his watch again. "You can't do that."

"You won't let me shower and dress and now I can't have coffee?"

"I didn't say you couldn't have coffee. It just cannot be morning coffee since it is now five minutes after twelve. If you want morning coffee, you have to get out of bed before noon." Randall looked at Ironside and grinned.

"I suggest you take it up with Mark," Ironside growled.

The door opened behind them. Mark came in with Vincent Mortimer, Headquarters' resident computer whiz. "Take what up with me?"

"Chief Ironside sleeping on company time," Randall said.

"He needed the rest," Mark told him.

"I wish you good people would stop trying to decide what I need or don't need." He looked at his aide and frowned. "And stop shutting off my alarm, Mr. Sanger!"

"Alright, the next time I leave your alarm on but your chair will still be across the room. You can wake up and still have to stay in bed."

The chief opened his mouth to speak again when Randall interrupted. "This is all very entertaining gentlemen but it will have to wait. There is more important business to attend to."

"Not before coffee," Ironside insisted. "Ed!"

"Coming right up, Chief." Ed brought the coffee pot with several mugs on a tray and set it in the middle of the table. He poured coffee for everyone and placed the mugs in front of them.

Ironside sipped Ed's coffee and frowned. "This is worse than Mark's. Is Eve the only one that can make a decent cup of coffee in this office?"

Eve came into the room and took a seat at the table. "Maybe you should start making the morning pot so we can critique your coffee."

"Maybe you should start a meter maid detail," Ironside countered.

Randall shook his head. "It is hard to believe that this is considered the best unit in the entire police force."

Ironside looked at Randall and snarled. "This is the best unit in the department because despite disagreeing with each other on occasion, we are a family… dysfunctional; mind you… but a family none the less. Besides how many families do you know that are not dysfunctional?"

A smile appeared on Randall's face. "Not a one."

"There you go," Ironside replied, nodding.

"Sir, Mark said you needed help with your computer. Can you tell me what the problem is?" Vincent Mortimer asked. They all looked back at the young man who was standing by the computer at the chief's desk. Through all the chief's roaring, they had forgotten he was even in the office.

"Someone has hacked into the chief's computer. It has…"

"Just a minute Mark," Randall interrupted. "Vince, would you step out of the office for a minute. I will send for you in a few minutes."

Mortimer shrugged and left the office.

Ironside stared at his boss. "What is going on Dennis?"

"You would already know if you hadn't been snarling at everyone like a grizzly bear," Randall said.

Eve, Mark, and Ed started smiling. "Sister Agatha says he's a big teddy bear," Eve said with a grin.

"It must be that bump on the head she received from Morgan Haynes when he attacked her in the hospital," Randall replied. ** "From now on Mark, I don't care how much sleep he has had, leave his alarm clock alone. He's uglier when he gets to sleep."

"Did everyone in this room get out of bed with the intention of getting on my nerves today?" Ironside snarled back at Randall.

"What side of the bed did you get off, anyway?" Randall asked.

"The same side I get off every day…the RIGHT side."

"Maybe you out to try the WRONG side."

"Dennis, are you going to continue to irritate me or are you going to tell me why I have to stay in my pajamas?"

"I not sure I even remember why I came in here in the first place."

Ironside slammed his coffee mug down on the table. "Dennis…"

"Alright, Bob, but when you are done with this case, you are taking another vacation, locked away somewhere where no one can find you. Maybe you will come back in a bearable mood."

"This case? What case? We already have a full load. Is that why you came in here? To dump another case in my lap?"

Randall turned his attention to Mark. "Did you bring Vincent up here to fix the chief's computer?"

"Yea, there is a…"

"Scrabble game on the screen and you can't access anything else on the computer. Is that an accurate description of your problem?"

Surprised at the commissioner's correct assessment of the problem, Mark asked, "How did you know?"

Ironside wheeled over to his computer and looked at the screen. Sure enough, there was the board of a Scrabble game. He hit the escape button, a message came up... _**You are invited to play Scrabble Spells Murder. **_He tried to exit out of the application by clicking on the 'X' at the top right-hand side of the screen, another message came up on the screen…** Tisk**_, __**tisk, Ironside. I insist you play Scrabble Spells Murder**_**.** He then tried pressing control, alt, delete to bring up the task manager. When it came up, he tried forcing the application closed… a message came up on the screen. _**It's not that easy, Ironside. **_Finally, he attempted to reboot the computer and another message came up. _**That won't work either, Ironside.**_

"What in the flaming hell is going on?" He roared. He turned to see everyone looking over his shoulder.

"It is possible that someone has hacked into the computer," Eve said.

Ironside glared at his officer and growled, "That is a brilliant deduction, Officer Whitfield. Did you ever think of becoming a detective?"

"Dennis, how did you know about this?" Chief Ironside demanded.

"Because I got a message on my computer this morning. Hit the control and the right shift key on your computer."

Ironside did as Randall instructed. Another message popped up on the screen. _**Listen to Randall, Ironside. You will play Scrabble Spells Murder if you want to stop the killings**_.

Everyone was silent for a moment. Finally, Ironside broke the silence. "Can Vincent find out the location of the hacker?"

"He already tried. Whoever is doing this is very good. Vincent has been working night and day on this. He has not been able to find out the location of the hacker who hacked into my computer. Although Mark did not know anything about this… Scrabble game, Vincent knew he would not be looking into your computer," Randall announced.

Ed looked at the commissioner in disbelief. "What do you mean? If we cannot trace the hacker from the chief's computer, it will be virtually impossible to find him. He could be hacking it from anywhere in the world. How could we ever find him?"

"I am aware of that, Sergeant. We will have to find another way. Time must be spent on figuring out who he is going to kill from the clues he puts up on the Scrabble board," Randall replied.

"I see no reason we cannot do both," Ironside disagreed. "Mark, we have a Scrabble Board around here somewhere. Find it. We will set it up and match what our potential killer puts on the computer screen. That way Vincent can work on locating the hacker."

"I am afraid not," Randall shook his head.

"And why not?" Ironside knew Randall was about to tell him the safeguards their hacker had taken to prevent it.

"Type in the word hacker," Randall instructed him.

Ironside did exactly that. One final message came up on the screen.

_**If you attempt to locate me by messing with this computer (such as Randall did); first it will be blocked and second your clues will come AFTER the murder has been committed. If you follow the rules and don't cheat, you will receive the clues BEFORE the murder is committed. You will at least have a chance to stop them, Ironside. Let's find out how good the great Robert T. Ironside is at playing Scrabble Spells Murder. You will receive your first clue tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, that is unless you decide to cheat. Good luck, Ironside. I look forward to the challenge of playing Scrabble with you.**_

___**Hacker**_

"This guy is a lunatic," Mark said.

"We can't be sure it is a man, Mark," Eve said. "There are women out there that are just as good as men at hacking computers.

"What are the chances this is just a hoax by some talented kid sitting in his parent's basement in his pajamas in front of a keyboard?" Mark inquired.

"We cannot take that chance. We have to go on the assumption that it is a credible threat," Ironside said.

"We must make an attempt at finding him," Ed insisted.

"If we do, you read what will happen," the commissioner reminded him.

"Ed is right, Dennis. We just cannot play his game indefinitely," Ironside agreed with Ed. "If we figure out the clues, we will be able to stop some of the murders but if we don't figure out all of them, someone is going to die. We just cannot keep playing this man's game forever. We have to find him and stop him."

"I did not mean we do nothing, Bob. We are not going to be able to touch that computer to find him. You will have to find another way," Randall clarified.

Eve groaned. "Without narrowing it down by tracing the hacker, he or she could be anywhere in the world."

"No, I don't think so," Ironside disagreed. "If he is to commit murder of someone in San Francisco then he must be here."

"Well then, that narrows it down to the entire population of San Francisco," Ed said sarcastically.

"No, it doesn't," the chief disagreed one more time. "Not everyone in this city has the means or the know-how to hack a computer and be able to know what we are doing with it at this end."

"Well, at any rate, Bob, it goes without saying. Drop everything you are doing and make this the top priority. Find this maniac before he kills anyone."

"Dennis, the odds are we won't be able to stop all of the killings."

Randall blew out a breath. "I know. Find him as fast as you can. I had to inform the city council this morning. They are already on edge and demanded this be handed to you and your staff."

"So what's new?" Ironside said in resignation.

"Good luck to all of you," Randall told them. "Thanks for the coffee, Ed. Goodbye, Bob. Keep me informed." With that, Randall left his top detective to begin playing Scrabble Spells Murder.

*Refers to my Ironside/Perry Mason Crossover, "The Case of the Angry Mountain."

**Refers to my Ironside fan fiction, "Murder at Saint Mary's"


	2. Chapter 2

Scrabble Spells Murder!

Chapter 02

2.1

"Mark, has Ed or Eve called in yet?" Ironside shouted.

"No, Chief, but you already know that because there is nothing wrong with your hearing and you know that the phone has not exactly been ringing off the hook."

Ironside began drumming his fingers on the table as he read through Vincent Mortimer's report. He did not expect to find anything different in the report then he already knew. Mortimer made it clear that any tampering with the computer would be discovered by the individual that had hacked into it. Yet, he had been hoping there was a chance that Vincent could do some backdoor checking. He had been hoping for some kind of clue as to who was behind this.

The phone rang. Mark reached to pick it up. Ironside slapped his hand away and grabbed the receiver. "Ironside," he barked gruffly into the speaker.

"Chief, it's Ed. I got a list of known computer hackers in San Francisco. The list is long. If we have to go through all of these, it is going to take a while to find out who is doing this."

"We have to narrow the field, Ed. How many of them would have the know how to hack into police headquarters without Vincent Mortimer knowing it. One of the reasons he was hired was because of his ability to recognize any breach that might occur. Yet, whoever this man is was able to hack into my computer right under Vincent's nose. That means this man has to be right at the top of that list of yours."

"Sir, I am not a computer expert. I am just a cop. I don't know how to distinguish how much knowledge they would have to have in order to do it."

"You are not just a cop, Sergeant," Ironside snarled. "You are a detective. So start detecting. Find out which one of them could pull off this kind of job."

"Yes, sir. I will take the list and start checking their qualification and expertise with Vincent. Maybe he can help us shorten the list."

"Now, that is detective work," Ironside said, slamming the phone back in the cradle. "Mark! How about some coffee!"

Sanger went into the kitchen, poured his boss a mug full of coffee and carried it to the table. "Chief, how can you be sure whoever is doing this isn't just pulling your chain?"

"Do you want to take that chance, Mark? Would you bet your Aunt Ruby's life on it?"

"No, of course not. If this cat is for real then you are already behind the eight ball. He is making sure you can't trace him. There is no guaranty that you will be able to figure out where every murder is going to take place and who the target is."

"Chances are we won't be able to prevent all of them but we have to stop them and at the same time find some clue of our own as to who is doing this."

"That's a pretty tall order."

"I know but the toughest cases don't end up in this office because we have not solved the ones that came before them." Ironside looked at his watch. "I have to get ready for dinner."

"For dinner?" Mark asked.

"I am taking Katherine to dinner. I will have my cellphone with me. If Ed or Eve come up with anything I should know about, have them call me." He wheeled out of the main office and into his bedroom. He opened his closet and looked at the numerous suits that he owned. He looked down at the one he had on. It was one of Katherine's favorite suits he had worn around her. He decided to wear it.

He headed to the bathroom to freshen up. He had considered cancelling their date but rejected the notion. They did not have enough to go on right now. He hated to think about it but he knew he was going to have to play the would-be killer's game and take advantage of any mistakes he would make. At this point, he had to rely on Ed and Eve to start the legwork.

Ironside finished getting ready. He wheeled back into the main room of the office and grabbed his cellphone and keys to the van. "Later, Mark," he called out as he wheeled out of the office.

2.2

The Hacker sat at his desk. After hacking into Ironside's computer, he began placing the first clue onto the virtual Scrabble game. He had been planning this for some time. He hated Robert T. Ironside. There was nothing in the world he wanted more than to beat him at his own game. He could have killed him for what he had done but that would have been too good for him. No, he had to suffer. Ironside was one tough cop. And, he was a smart cop. Too smart to take chances with. He would have to be careful. He had to give Ironside enough information to make the game fair but it would be important to make sure he did not give him enough information to figure out whom he was. He could not leave clues that gave him even the slightest clue to his identity. Ironside knew him. He did not know that he hated him but he knew him, non-the-less.

The Hacker checked to be sure that Ironside had not allowed anyone to tamper with his computer. He smiled to see that his safeguards were working. There was no sign that anyone had been checking his work.

He input the first clue and put a timer on it to appear on Ironside's computer precisely at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Now it was time to go home and monitor Ironside from his home computer.

2.3

Ironside pulled into the Warf and parked his van. He wheeled onto the lift and lowered his wheelchair to the ground. After looking both ways down the street, he wheeled across and into the restaurant. Upon entering, he surveyed the tables. In the corner, secluded from the rest of the others, Katherine sat waiting for him. He wheeled in her direction. When he arrived at the table, he reached over and took her hand. He kissed it and said, "You are particularly beautiful tonight."

Katherine leaned toward him and the two kissed. "I am so happy you called, Robert. I have been waiting for you to contact me ever since we got back from Idaho."

He pulled his chair up to the table next to her and smiled. "I am sorry I have not called sooner. Vacations always put the office behind, especially when I take Ed, Eve and Mark with me."

"You didn't exactly take them with you," she said with amusement.

"No, but I did allow them to stay once they came up. Dennis dumped several more cases in our laps as soon as I got home. We have been busy clearing them up. However, I did not want to go another day without seeing you." He kissed her hand again.

"Thank you, Robert. It makes me happy to know you want to see me."

"Why wouldn't I? I think we had a wonderful time in the Sawtooth Mountains… at least after we cleared Milt."

She smiled and placed a hand on his cheek. "I never dreamed when I accepted Della's invitation to join you up there that it would turn out the way it did. I can't remember when I had such a fabulous time. It was all because of you."

The waiter approached the table and set two drinks down in front of them. "I took the liberty of choosing the wine. It is a dry red wine but I believe you will like it."

Ironside raised his glass and said, "To the future."

Katherine touched her glass to his and repeated, "To the future." Both of them sipped the wine.

"A very good choice, although not as good as the wine from your winery," he decided.

"You are just being a gentleman. But I appreciate it anyway."

"No, I mean it. Your wine is better."

The waiter returned with menus and passed one to each of them. "I will return in a while to take your order."

"That is not necessary," Ironside said. "We will have the lobster." He looked at Katherine who nodded.

"Yes, sir." He left them alone to put in their order.

"I would like to invite you for dinner at my place soon. You have had me to yours on two occasions now."

"You just name the time and date and I will be there."

"Robert, I have never watched much sports, mainly because my husband never cared for any of them. I know you love baseball, football and basketball. You will have to teach me the rules of those games so that I can enjoy them with you."

"All in good time, Katherine. Don't feel you have to watch sports just because I do. On the other hand, if you really like them, I would love to take you to a ball game next summer. Tonight however, I have no intentions of sharing you with a television or a sports team. I want you all to myself."

She placed her hand over his. "You already have that."

The phone in Ironside's pocket rang. "I have to answer that. Something is going on at the office." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. He pressed the answer key on the smartphone and barked, "Ironside."

"Check your messages," was all the voice said.

Katherine noticed the frown on his face. "What's wrong, Robert?"

"Just a minute, Kate. I have to check the messages." He pressed the home key and the email. He glanced down the long list of messages. None of them seemed to be of such importance that they needed his immediate attention. Then he noticed at the top of the phone, the icon for text messages. The chief pressed the text messages. There was one new message… an unidentified text message. Instead of a phone number, the word restricted appeared.

Ironside was now sure he knew from whom the message had been sent. He pressed the restricted number and the message popped up.

You have been a good boy. You did not play with the computer. Therefore, you will get the first Scrabble clue at nine o'clock tomorrow. Remember someone's life depends on how well you play the game, Chief. Good luck, Ironside. You are going to need it.

"Robert, what is wrong?" Katherine asked again.

"A work related problem?" he replied.

"From the look on your face, it looks like it is a serious problem."

"Not yet, but it could very well become one." He told her what Mark had found on his computer and about the messages that had been sent by the Hacker. Ironside handed her his smartphone and let her read the message he had just received.

"Could he just be a crank?"

"It is a possibility, Katherine but I don't think so. I think he really intends to do it."

"But how will you catch him if you can't trace him through the computer?"

Ironside shook his head. "It won't be easy. I am afraid some people are going to die before he leaves us enough clues to his identity."

"That is why you had that look on your face when you came in."

He raised his eyebrows. "What look?"

"The look that everyone in the room was a suspect." She smiled.

"Not everyone. Just those with the ability to hack a computer." He looked around. "I can't help but wonder if he is in this room watching me at this very minute. If I memorize every face in the room, maybe I will see him at a later date somewhere else." He continued to check every one in the restaurant.

"He does not sound like the type that would be so careless that he would allow you to see him," Katherine observed.

"You would be surprised how bold these types can get. They think they are invulnerable so they take chances. That is usually how we catch them."

"Robert, could he actually be after you?" she asked him.

"Ultimately, he probably is. But first, he will try to embarrass me by publicly beating me at his own form of Scrabble."

"You mean by the number of people he is successful in killing."

"That's right."

"I am sorry, Robert. Just promise me you will be careful." Katherine requested.

"I promise. You promise me you won't worry yourself sick about me."

"I am not Barbara. I have confidence in your judgement. Do your job but be careful." Katherine smiled at him.

"That's my girl," Ironside said. They ate dinner by candle light. The conversation turned to the vineyards.

"You still have not visited the vineyards, Robert."

"That is going to change. How about I come out this weekend?"

"Job permitting?" she added.

"Job permitting," Ironside replied.

"How about late in the afternoon? Then I will fix dinner for you...say Saturday at four?"

"It's a date." Ironside looked into her eyes. There is a new art exhibit at the museum. Would you like to see it?"

"I would love to, she replied.

Ironside called for the check. He reached into his wallet, pulled out the necessary bills with a generous tip and they left the Warf.

2.4

Ironside reached into his suit coat pocket, pulled out his keys and put the correct key into the lock. He noticed the door was not locked.

After pushing it open, he wheeled into his office and down the ramp. Ed and Eve were sitting at the main work table. It was covered in papers.

He checked his watch. "It is after midnight. What are you two still doing here?"

"Chief, do you know how many known computer hackers there are in the city of San Francisco?" Ed asked.

"No, but I am sure you are going to enlighten me," Ironside said.

"There are over three hundred ranging from kids to adults," Eve said, picking up several sheets of paper and waving them in the air.

"We don't have time to check out three hundred hackers," Ironside snarled. "Narrow it down."

"Vincent Mortimer was not in his office when we got back. We will see him in the morning," Ed said.

Ironside pulled out his cellphone and brought up the text message he had received. "You better take a look at this." He handed his cellphone to Ed.

Eve stood up and read the message over Brown's shoulder. "How would he know your cellphone number? There are very few people that have it."

"He's a hacker, Eve. The number is on file in this building in case Headquarters has to get hold of me. He probably hacked in the main system and got the number from there," Ironside surmised.

"Chief, I think this guy is serious," Mark said.

"I agree, which makes it all the more imperative that we narrow it down to something more manageable," Ironside replied.

"We are going to need Vince Mortimer for that," Ed said.

"Let me see those lists." Ironside reached out. Ed handed him several sheets of paper. Ironside pointed at one of the names on one list. "This man is dead. I think we can safely cross him off."

"We should start with the ones that have a grudge against you," Ed suggested.

"Since he is targeting your computer, I think it is fair to say that is probably a safe bet," Mark agreed.

"Alright, does anyone on this list fit that pattern?" the chief asked his staff.

"Andre Banner," Eve said immediately. "You sent him up for hacking into the city treasury's office."

"Oh yes, I remember that one. He went into their system to change his property taxes from unpaid to paid," Ironside remembered. "If I recall, the reason we caught him is because we were able to trace the trail he left behind. No, I don't think he has the talent for an operation this sophisticated. Scratch him off the list."

"Are you sure? He threatened you at his sentencing. Said he would get even with you when he got out," Ed recalled. "I think we should at least check on his whereabouts."

"Alright, check it in the morning. Right now I think both of you need to go home and get some sleep. It may be the last sleep you get for a while. "Ed, check with Jimmy Smith in the morning. We may need Carl to join us on this one."

"Yes, sir." Ed set down the papers he was holding in his hand. "Eve, you don't have your car here. Can I give you a lift home?"

"Yes, thank you, Ed." She stood up and both of them left headed for the door. "Goodnight, Chief," they both said at the same time.

"Good night," Ironside answered.

Mark walked over to the table with a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. He poured a drink for his boss and set it down in front of him.

"Thanks, Mark." Ironside still had the list of hackers in his hand. His trained eye was going down the names one by one.

Mark took a sip of his bourbon. "How do we know that he is even on that list? It could be someone that has never been arrested or suspected of hacking into a computer anywhere."

"We have to start somewhere, Mark, at least until he starts making mistakes and giving us clues as to who he is."

"Yea. Chief, Ed and Eve are not the only ones that need rest. You should turn in. Tomorrow isn't exactly going to be your typical day."

Ironside looked up. "You go ahead. I am going to study these names for a bit. I'll get myself into bed."

"Chief… "

"I'll be alright, Mark. Go to bed," Ironside said softly.

Knowing he would not be able to change the boss's mind, Mark went into his room and closed the door.

2.5

The door to the office opened. Commissioner Randall walked in. He glanced at his watch as he came down the ramp. It was eight o'clock. He joined his friend and top detective at the table. "Anything on the computer yet?"

"He said nine o'clock, Dennis. He won't post anything until then. Sit down. Mark! Get the commissioner a cup of coffee."

"Coming right up, Chief." Mark poured a cup of coffee, brought it to the table and set it down in from of Randall.

The door to the office opened. Ed and Eve came in and walked down the ramp. Both were handed coffee from Mark as they came by the kitchenette. They too joined Ironside at the table.

The chief looked at his two detectives. Neither looked as though they had had any sleep. "You two are not due in here for an hour."

"I couldn't sleep," Eve said.

"Me neither," Ed told him.

"Alright, don't say I didn't give you the chance to rest. Now… I stayed up a while and studied that list of hackers. I have come up with ten that I believe fit the profile. We will divide them up and check them out."

The door to the office opened and Lt. Carl Reese walked in. He stopped at the kitchen, poured himself a cup of coffee and joined the others. "Anything, yet?"

"He said nine o'clock" Ironside barked. He won't put that clue up one minute earlier."

"Captain Smith told me to report to you, Chief. I am assuming you want me to help with this investigation."

"You assume right. You will be working with this office until further notice."

"Yes, sir."

"Now here are the ten people we are going to concentrate on." Ironside handed a duplicate of the list he had hand-written to each of his staff. "Eve, you will take the first three. Ed, you take the second three and Carl, you take the third three on the list. Mark and I will take the last one and monitor our friend's activity on the computer."

Everyone looked over the names that had been assigned to each of them. Ironside explain to them why he chose the ones he did. After he gave a basic background of each of the suspects, it was close to nine o'clock.

The desk top machine sounded an alarm and a computer voice said. "Good morning, Chief Ironside. It is time to play Scrabble Spells Murder! You will have to figure out what the clue means to stop the death of the person in the clue. The clue contains the person, place and day. Good luck, Chief. San Francisco is depending on you."

The computer went blank and the Scrabble Board reappeared. Everyone stared at the board.

BIRDCODHALL

A/N I have a Scrabble board that is in the body of the word document but it would not transfer over to the Fanfiction site. This was the best I could do. I could not even center it on the page. When I did, it disappeared! Frustrating!

kaleen1212


	3. Chapter 3

Scrabble Spells Murder!

Chapter 03

3.1

Everyone stared at the clue on the Scrabble board on the computer screen. "Well, does that mean anything to anyone?" asked Commissioner Randall.

"I think we can safely say that it is divided by three words," Ironside observed. "BIRD, COD, HALL."

"Each one of those words probably represents where, when, and who," said Ed.

"It is not much of a clue," complained Mark. Those words don't really tell us anything."

"On the contrary, Mark. They tell us who is going to be killed, where it will take place, and when it will happen," said Ironside.

"How do we tell which clue applies to which one?" Eve wondered.

"Let's start with the last word," suggested Ironside. "Hall... logically this is the one that should refer to the place."

"But what kind of Hall?" questioned Commissioner Randall. "There are all kinds of halls in the city. Consider the halls in schools."

"Just about every public building in the city has halls," Carl offered.

"Including this building," said Ed.

"Is it possible the killer intends to go after Chief Ironside immediately?" inquired Commissioner Randall.

"It is a possibility," agreed Mark. "It is at least something we must consider. The chief is probably his ultimate target."

"No, I don't think that the killer will go after the chief first. He wants to beat him at his sick version of a Scrabble game. I think that he will kill several people before he goes after the chief." Eve walked over to the kitchen to put on another pot of coffee.

"Then what kind of hall is it and how do we figure out where the hall is?" Ed wondered.

"I don't think we can," Ironside frowned.

"What?" Randall was shocked to hear Ironside sound so defeated. It was not like him. "You can't be serious."

The chief removed the letters out of the Scrabble game box and put them on the board in the same manner the Hacker did on the computer screen. "What I mean, Dennis, is that we probably will never figure out what they mean if we take the clues separately. They will have to be figured out collectively."

"Chief, you lost me," Carl admitted.

"Individually, they mean nothing. But all together they tell us what we want to know."

"I understand what the Chief is saying," Ed said. "In other words, it was Professor Plum with the candle stick in the library."

"Precisely! The important thing is... when? If we don't know when, the where and the who will not mean anything at all. But we do know when."

Carl looked at Ironside with a confused expression. "We do?"

"No, Lieutenant, we are clueless," Randall said, confused.

"No, Dennis, we are not clueless. The hacker put that clue front and center to be sure we are in the game."

"You mean BIRD, Chief?" Eve asked.

"Yes, Eve. What day do we usually associate a bird with?" Ironside asked.

"Of course! Thanksgiving!" Eve said excitedly.

"That is right, Miss Whitfield. He has told us that the killing will occur on the holiday."

"That is only a week away," Mark pointed out.

"Correct, Mark. We have one week to solve this clue and prevent a murder."

Everyone was silent for a moment. They did not know how long they would be given to solve the first clue but now that they did, the pressure was even greater.

"I will work on the clue. You people will start on that list of suspects. Mark, go to the nearest game store and buy a couple more Scrabble games. I doubt that our friend will pay much attention that the individual letters are limited."

When no one moved away from the table, Ironside snarled, "We only have one week, children!" All of them headed out of the office on the run.

Dennis Randall remained at the table. Ironside looked at his friend and boss. "What is it Dennis?"

"I keep thinking about some poor sol out there that doesn't even know that he or she has been targeted by this maniac. Someone that may only have one week to live. He could be planning a big family dinner right at this moment not realizing that he will never get to eat it."

"Look on the bright side of it," Ironside said.

"Bright side? What bright side?"

"He could be leaving town for the holiday."

Randall snorted. "I should be so lucky."

Ironside's face turned grim. "You won't be."

"Thanks Bob. That is just what I needed to hear. Why do all the lunatics seem to be in San Francisco? The Moonlight Killer, Pierre Fougere, Morgan Haynes. Why can't they all pick some other city to terrorize?"

"I doubt that we have any more than any other big city. It just seems that way."

Randall stood up. "At least I can report to the city council that you have the day pinned down."

I would prefer that you didn't tell them, Dennis. The less people that know, the less chance they tell someone else and the less chance our Hacker finds out what we know. We can't be sure that one of us doesn't know the Hacker."

"Alright, Bob. I won't tell them for now but that is not going to fly for long."

"So tell me something I don't already know."

3.2

Ed pulled his Ford up to the curb of Andre Banner's apartment building. He remembered the threats Banner made toward the chief at his trial. Ironside had dismissed him as a suspect almost right away. Ed wondered if Banner had the ability to hack into and control the chief's computer.

Ironside was rarely wrong when he made a decision to exclude someone in an investigation. Ed wondered how he could be so sure. He did not think he would have the confidence to make such a quick judgment. Then that might explain why he was a chief and Ed was a detective sergeant.

Sgt. Brown shut off the engine of his car, got out and headed up the sidewalk to the building he knew he would find Andre Banner. He had found out that Banner had lost his job. He had been unable to get along with the manager of the computer company his parole officer had secured for him when his prison term was up.

Ed opened the door and walked down the long hall until he reached apartment twenty-seven. The sergeant wrapped his knuckles on the door and waited.

"Yea, who is it?" The voice called out from the other side.

"Police! Open up. I want to talk to you," Ed replied.

Banner opened the door with the security chain attached.

"Is that you, Brown?"

"Sgt. Brown. Chief Ironside sent me to talk with you."

"Get lost. I have nothing to say to you or that cripple."

"Listen, Banner. We can talk here or I will be back with a warrant and you can talk to Chief Ironside. Now, open the door."

Brown waited. He heard the chain being released and the door opened. Andre Banner stood there holding it, giving no indication that he intended to let Ed in.

"Let me in and we will have a nice friendly chat," Ed said.

Banner reluctantly opened the door and let Ed Brown pass into his apartment. "You have five minutes and then you are out of here."

Ed walked into the living room. The place was trashed. There was paper everywhere. Empty pizza boxes were thrown on the floor. There were empty McDonald's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, and Subway bags lying all over.

"You would never win the House Keeping Seal of Approval, Banner and your diet is terrible."

"You didn't come here to discuss that, Brown. What the hell does Ironside want now... another five years of my life? That bastard sent me up."

"You sent yourself up. You broke the law. The chief arrested you. If he hadn't, someone else would have."

"Yea, right. Say what you came here to say and get out."

"Are you trying to get back at the chief?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I want to know if you hacked into his computer."

"Hell no, are you crazy! I hate the son of a bitch but I have no desire to go back to prison."

Ed looked around the room. There was an elaborate computer set up in one corner of the living room. Ed walked over to it.

"Unless you have a warrant, Brown, don't touch the computer."

"Why, would I find that you are monitoring the chief's computer?"

"I would not know how to do that."

"Maybe, I should get Vincent down here and find out."

"You can't push me around, Brown. You have to have probable cause to search the computer and just because I hate Ironside doesn't give you that."

"You have not learned a thing have you? Lost your job and now you have nothing to do all day except play on the computer. Do you play computer Scrabble?"

"What? I never heard of the game. I just got a job working for the cable company, supporting their internet service. Why don't you leave me alone? I am trying to get my life straighten out. Don't you think you have messed it up enough?"

"We didn't mess it up, Andre, you did."

"Look, you can check with the cable company. They will tell you I work for them. Please, leave me alone. I have to get back to work."

Ed stared at him for a moment and then headed for the door. "Keep your nose clean, Andre. We will be watching you."

Ed left the apartment and went back to his car. The chief was right. Banner was not the one that hacked into his computer.

3.3

Ironside sat at the main table in his office staring at the Scrabble board in front of him. BIRDCODHALL. What did the rest of the clue mean? What hall could the murder be taking place in? And who could possibly be represented by COD?

He wheeled over to his desk and reached into the bottom drawer. Could it be as easy as someone with the last name of a fish? He thumbed through the book until he reached the 'C's. Trailing his finger down the columns until he arrived at people with the last name of Cod, there were four of them. Chief Ironside reached into the desk drawer and removed a pen. He wrote the names of all four on a tablet. Lawrence T. Cod, David M Cod, BR Cod, William C. Cod. Not one name was familiar to him. This man wanted him to be humiliated but more importantly, he wanted him to suffer. Would he choose people Ironside did not know?

He knew that most crooks would go after the citizens of his town as a way to get to him but Ironside was sure that this man would choose higher profile targets. The list he just made was useless. He tore the paper from the tablet and rolled it into a ball.

Wheeling back to the table, he stared at the Scrabble board. BIRDCODHALL. There was no doubt that the day was Thanksgiving. What connection did the other two clues have to one another? He had been concentrating on COD as the person. He was doing exactly what he had told his staff not to do, separating the clues into individual clues.

Ironside looked again at the Scrabble board. Somehow, the clues were tied together. But how? Someone was going to be murdered on the holiday. He was convinced that it would be someone well known. The Hacker would want to strike fear into the people of San Francisco. Although killing just anyone would certainly accomplish that after two or three killings, it would bring his game to the attention of the people quicker if the first person was someone prominent.

He had to start thinking along the lines of someone whom all the public would know... someone that would cause a panic. That could mean a city council member or a visiting celebrity.

The clues were too vague, Ironside decided. Would he be able to solve them in time? He realized a lot of it would have to be just plain luck. The clues could represent numerous places and people. That was why he knew they had to be combined and solved together. One clue would not tell them the complete picture. The place stood out with BIRD but the Hacker made sure the other two had to be solved together.

"Mark! Will you get me a cup of coffee, please?"

3.4

The intercom in Randall's office buzzed. "Yes," he answered the summons.

"Commissioner, the mayor is here to see you."

Randall sighed. It had been four days since the first clue. Bob and his people had not come up with the solution and Thanksgiving was only three days away. Naturally, the city council had somehow found out about the Scrabble game. They were already becoming nervous about what would happen on Thursday. He could not blame them. It was the council the city would pressure for protection against the Hacker. As they say... it rolls downhill. They would pressure him and he would pressure Bob Ironside to stop the Hacker from killing whomever the clue represented.

Thank God for Bob Ironside! How would San Francisco survive without him? Randall knew no one was irreplaceable but Bob Ironside came closer than anyone he knew. He could not have imagined his career in the city without the detective to lean on. They had been friends for a good many years and in those years, Randall had the opportunity to observe a lot of detectives… none better than Robert T. Ironside.

As good as Bob was, he also had a downside. This case was a prime example of that. Every crook in the country and some from around the world dreamed of defeating San Francisco's modern day Sherlock Holmes. As a result, the city attracted some of the most dangerous of the criminal element. The Hacker was living proof. This was not just a potential serial killer. He was killing in order to outwit Randall's top detective. Whoever he was, he wanted to humiliate him in front of the entire city. He was in for a rude awakening.

The Hacker might succeed in killing someone… maybe several but in the end Robert Ironside would have enough clues to find and stop the man and he would do it faster than anyone else in the entire police department. What worried Randall was the clues that he would not solve… or solve too late to save the individual targeted. He could not think about it now. The mayor was on his way in.

The door to his office opened and his secretary escorted Mayor Patrick Simpson into his office.

"Dennis… "

"I know what you are going to say, Mr. Mayor. We are doing everything that can possibly be done to find the Hacker."

"I hope you turned this case over to Chief Ironside," the mayor said in what sounded more like an order than a statement.

"Of course I did. Who else would I assign it to," Randall replied, attempting to keep the irritation out of his voice.

He almost chuckled at the mayor's panic. The city council always demanded any case of this nature be turned over to Robert Ironside. The man worked ungodly hours, forcing his staff to do the same, to keep up with the caseload he and the city council dumped on him. Yet, whenever he requested that Ironside's budget be increased or more personnel assigned to his office, the answer was always no. It was a wonder Bob could operate his office on what the city provided him. He was still amazed that they voted unanimously to buy him a new van after the paddy wagon had been destroyed as Sgt. Ed Brown and D.W Donnelly used the vehicle to convince Harvey Poole's deputies that they had been killed when the paddy wagon went over a cliff.*

"What is he doing about it?"

"Trying to solve the first clue. Mr. Mayor, you have to give Bob a chance to figure it out. Panicking is not going to do any of us any good."

"I am not panicking!" he said, indignantly. "I want to know where he is on this."

"I told you, he is working on it."

"We don't know when the Hacker is going to strike. He had better solve this before he does."

Randall realized that despite the mayor's grapevine, he did not know that Ironside had figured out the murder was to take place on Thanksgiving Day. Then how could he, Bob was keeping that quiet. He would have instructed his staff not to say anything to anyone.

"Is there someone else you would rather have on the case?" Randall asked, knowing the answer. He just wanted to point out the best man for the job... was on the job.

"Of course not!" Simpson snapped. "Ironside is the best in the department. He ought to be with the budget we supply."

Randall gave him a look of disbelief. "We supply him with very little, Mr. Mayor. We don't even pay him."

"We can't pay him. He would lose his pension."

"Not if we put him back on active duty."

"We would never get that past the insurance company, Dennis, and you know it."

"I think we would. Besides, we will never know unless we try. Furthermore, he should not have to pay Mark Sanger out of his own pocket. He should be paid staff. No, Patrick, we give Chief Ironside very little."

"Alright, Dennis, you made your point. We will pursue it after we get this Scrabble game hacker."

Randall could not believe his own ears. He was not going to let it go at that. "Why not now? While you are realizing how much the city needs him. Afterwards, the city council could very well decide it is not necessary. The urgency will be gone. Damn it! Patrick, Bob Ironside deserves it and YOU know it."

"Alright you win. I will see what I can do. Just keep me informed." Simpson turned and left Randall's office.

Maybe, just maybe he could get the help Bob needed in that office. He smiled. Then he could assign more cases to him that no one else could solve.

3.5

Mark checked the turkey in the oven. He glanced over at his boss who was sitting at the table staring at the Scrabble board in front of him. Occasionally, he would write something down on a pad of paper.

"Chief, if we are going to eat dinner on that table your Scrabble board is going to have to be removed," Mark told him.

"It is today, Mark. Someone is going to die today because I have not been able to figure out whom and where." He slammed his fist down on the table startling both Eve and Ed who were working on the case at other tables. They both got up and walked over to the boss.

"It's not your fault, Chief," Eve soothed. "The clues are just too vague."

"Let's keep going," Ed said.

The door opened and Lt. Carl Reese walked in. "Sorry, I am late, Chief. I had to make sure everything was set for the family before I left."

"I am sorry I have interrupted everyone's holiday," Ironside said, "but we don't have much time to decide where and who we are going to try to protect."

"We understand," Eve said.

"Where's the commissioner? Eve, didn't you invite him and Patricia to this session and dinner? And what about Katherine?"

"Of course I did. Katherine is on the way over right now but the Randalls are not coming."

Ironside turned his wheelchair toward his police officer. "Why not? The plan was to decide who the target might be and protect them. We will know soon enough if we are wrong. Then we were to have dinner."

"The commissioner said he and his wife have a tradition for Thanksgiving. They have dinner at the Warf every year at noon. They did not want to change it because of the Hacker."

Ironside's face lit up. "Did you say the Warf?"

"Yes, why?"

"It has been right there in front of me all along!" Ironside shouted. "The Warf!"

"It represents COD!" Ed exclaimed excitedly.

"That's right, Ed. And, HALL means the Hall of Justice… not where but whom… namely Commissioner Dennis Randall. I told you all three clues had to be solved together."

"Chief, that means he is going to kill the commissioner at noon today!" Carl pointed out.

"Not if I can help it and I can!" Ironside whirled his chair around and headed for the ramp. "Let's go!"

*Refers to the Ironside episode "Poole's Paradise"


	4. Chapter 4

Scrabble Spells Murder!

Chapter 4

4.1

Ironside grabbed the police radio and barked into it, "This is Ironside. If there are any plain clothed officers in the vicinity of Fisherman's Wharf, respond immediately." He waited for an answer.

"Chief, this is Fran Belding. I am within a mile of the Wharf. Tell me what you want me to do."

"Fran, there is going to be an attempt on Commissioner Randall's life. He and his wife are eating dinner inside. We are still another ten minutes away. Assess the situation and act accordingly. The commissioner and his wife are your responsibility until we get there."

"Yes, sir. I am on my way." Fran broke the contact.

"I would feel more confident if there was a more experienced officer going in there," Carl said.

Ironside looked at Lt. Reese. "I trust Fran. The only other officers that I would trust as much are in this vehicle. And since none of you can get there any faster than I can, I am happy it was Fran that answered the call."

4.2

He sat in the booth as far away from Randall as he could possibly get. He could not be seen by the Randalls yet he was in a perfect spot to observe them. He remembered seeing Randall and his wife in the Wharf a couple years ago. When stopping by his table, Randall had told him that they had dinner every year at the Wharf on Thanksgiving. It made a perfect opportunity to kill the commissioner as the first Scrabble murder.

Whether or not Ironside would figure out the clue in time would depend on whether he knew about the Randall's tradition of where they had their Thanksgiving dinner. If he knew, then he would be here. If not, then Randall would become the first victim. He had nothing against the commissioner or his wife. Neither of them had ever done him any harm. In fact, Randall had helped him once. He did not know Mrs. Randall. He had never met her. It was unfortunate that she was with the commissioner on this particular day and place.

He would not allow any of this to deter his plans. He wanted to beat the cop that was considered the best. His job had become boring. It was no longer a challenge for him. He had to have something that stimulated his mind. What a better way to do it then best San Francisco's greatest detective? So far, no one had been able to beat Robert Ironside. Some had been successful in eluding the law. Ironside had rules to follow. That was the beauty of being on the other side of the law. You had no rules. You could make them up as you went along while the police had to figure out a way to charge you with some broken establishment law.

The problem with most of Ironside's adversaries was that they underestimated him. The man was simply brilliant. You could not let your guard down, not even for a moment. If you did, that was when he had you. Not many men had the ability to think like he could. He had watched him for a long time now... studied him and how he outsmarted the amateur crooks. But he would not outsmart him. No sir! He had been preparing for this for some time. He had planned each and every Scrabble clue. He had chosen the victims carefully.

The most important part of his plan was to keep the clues vague but at the same time give that brilliant mind of Ironside's a chance. After all, if he did not take some risk then the entire operation would be for nothing. The plan was to beat Ironside and he must do that fair and square. If he did not give him a fighting chance to solve each clue then it would not be much of a victory. No, he had to beat Ironside and he would do that by staying one-step ahead of him. That is the only way the victory would have any meaning.

Randall's death would make a big splash on the front page of the paper. After this killing, Ironside would not be able to keep it quiet. The city council would be screaming for him to solve the Scrabble murders. That is what they would become known as.

He watched Randall's table. A woman walked over to him. She spoke to him for a moment. Randall and his wife got out of their chairs and left the table with her. When they turned toward his direction, He recognized her... Fran Belding. She was a cop!

The Randalls followed Belding out of the restaurant. Something was wrong. Belding was a favorite of Ironside. He turned and looked out the window. A van had just pulled into the parking lot... Ironside's van! Damn! He had figured out the first clue. He must have known about the Randall's tradition.

He stood up and walked back to the restrooms. After entering the men's room, he looked up at the window near the ceiling. Fortunately, he was a small man. He would be able to fit through the window. Getting to that window would be tricky.

He turned and looked at the trash container. He smiled when he saw it had a cover. After pushing the trash container under the window, he climbed on top of it. He reached up and checked the window. It could be opened.

He forced the window open and slid out to the ground. Ironside would keep the cops busy checking for some clue as to who was trying to kill Randall. It would give him just enough time to slip away.

4.3

With her gun drawn, Officer Fran Belding's eyes darted left and right surveying the area for trouble. Fran led the Randalls to the van. The passenger door opened and Sgt. Ed Brown jumped out.

"Commissioner, the chief would like you to get into the van while we check out the Wharf."

Randall nodded and walked with his wife to the back of the van. The door opened and Lt. Carl Reese helped Patricia Randall in. Randall climbed into the van behind her as Reese hurried off towards the restaurant. Officer Eve Whitfield got out of the van and followed him. She smiled at the Randalls as she passed them.

Randall and his wife sat down in the back of the vehicle with Ironside. "Hello, Dennis. Sorry to interrupt your holiday." He took Patricia Randall's hand. "Happy Thanksgiving."

Patricia kissed his cheek. "Dennis was the target?"

"I believe so. We will know shortly for sure." Sirens wailed as police poured into the area.

The back door opened and Officer Duffy climbed into the van. "Just as you ordered, Chief, we are sealing off the area."

The passenger door opened as Sgt. Ed Brown slid back into the front seat. "Chief, we have a problem. Eve found a bomb attached to the underside of the table that the commissioner and his wife were sitting at."

"Mark," Ironside barked, "call in the bomb squad." Sanger got on the police unit immediately and did as he was instructed.

"Ed, clear everyone out of the building."

"Eve and Carl are already doing it, sir."

Mark turned around from the driver's seat to face his boss. "The bomb squad is on the way, Chief." Before they could arrive, there was an explosion in the restaurant.

"Ed!" Ironside shouted.

Ed was out the door and running back into the restaurant. Mark got out of the van and ran in after him.

Randall moved into the front seat as he surveyed the scene in front of him. "That bomb was meant for me."

"Without a doubt," Ironside agreed.

Randall looked at his friend. "Bob, you probably saved our lives."

"Forget it, Dennis. We must concentrate on who is responsible for this. That is the most important thing right now."

Randall shook his head. Just like Bob to brush off any kind of gratitude. "I am trying to thank you for saving our lives."

Still Ironside ignored him. The driver's door opened. Eve got in the car. "Everyone got out before it went off, Chief. No one was hurt. Most of the damage is confined to the area the commissioner was in. It looks like he only made the bomb powerful enough to kill those in the immediate area."

"Hold everyone that was in there until you have positively identified them. I want everyone checked out. Talk to the staff. Find out if anyone was seen at that table before Dennis entered. And find out who ate at the table directly before him."

"Yes sir." Eve got out of the van and went back into the Wharf.

4.4

Lt. Reese listened as Eve told him and Ed what the chief had ordered. "We are already doing it," he told her.

Ed left them and went back to the kitchen where the Wharf's staff had gathered, waiting to be questioned by the police. He spotted one young woman who was sitting by herself. Ed walked over to her. "I am Sgt. Brown of the San Francisco police department. Are you Suzanne Phillips?"

She stood up and looked at Ed as he approached her. "I am. They told us you would be asking questions. What would you like to know?"

"Do you know who the commissioner is?"

"Yes. He and his wife eat in here quite often."

"I understand that you waited on the commissioner today for dinner."

"Yes, that is correct," Suzanne, replied.

"Did anyone approach his table while he was having dinner?"

"Not that I am aware of."

"Did you notice anything unusual at all?"

She shook her head. "No, not that I can think... " She stopped.

Ed looked at her. She looked as though something had come to mind. "Miss Phillips?"

"There was one thing that happened but it was before the commissioner came into the restaurant."

"And what was that?"

"I was waiting on another table. As I walked back to the kitchen with dishes, I almost tripped over a man who was bent over next to the table."

"Was that the same table the commissioner was at today?"

"Yes, the commissioner always sits at the same table. They are very good customers. They call in ahead of time and reserve the same table."

"And he did that this time?"

"Yes. He did."

"How many people would know that he reserves the same table each time?"

"Just about everyone that works in the restaurant. Everyone knows the commissioner requests the same table."

"Did you see the face of the man that was bent down?"

"No. He said that he had dropped his cell phone and it slid under the table. When he stood up, his back was to me. He walked into the men's room. That was the last I saw of him."

Ed handed her a card. "If you think of anything else, please call me at that number. Thank you for your time."

Ed left her and joined Eve and Carl. "Anything?"

"No one saw anything. I have not been able to find out much of anything at all," Carl reported.

"Me neither," Eve said.

"Where's Mark," Ed asked when he did not see his friend.

"You know Mark," Eve smiled. He doesn't like leaving the chief alone if there is any chance that he could be in danger."

"I don't think the chief is in danger... yet," Ed added.

"There is not much else we can do here as far as I can see," Carl said. "We might as well leave this for the boys to clean up and return to the chief's office."

Both Ed and Eve were reluctant to go back with next to nothing to report to Ironside. Yet they knew they did not have much choice. Both nodded and followed Carl out of the Wharf.

4.5

He sat down at his computer. A smile appeared on his face. He was not entirely surprised that Ironside had showed up at the Wharf. After all, one of the reasons he had brought him into the game was because of his brilliance as a detective. Yet, he had to admit he harbored a desire to make a big splash on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle. The commissioner's death would have done that.

Should he try for the commissioner again? No. He had warned Ironside not to cheat by looking into the computer system for his identity. Ironside had complied. He would have known if he had not. He had been given a vague clue and still had been able to figure out whom, where and when. Therefore, be had been able to save the commissioner fair and square. He would not try to kill him again. He had to concede Ironside won the first round.

It was time to move on. He had to choose someone new as his target. He pulled up the list of names he had prepared. The next one needed to be someone prominent enough that would catch the attention of the public. Running his finger down the screen, he looked at each name one at a time. His victim also had to be someone it would hurt Ironside to lose. He did not want to kill a member of his staff... not yet. That would only serve to enrage the detective. It was far too early in the game for that. Still it had to be someone that would affect Ironside when the person died. His finger stopped at one name that caught his eye. Perfect! This person definitely fit the game, as he wanted it played.

He began typing on the keyboard in front of him. It was time to give Ironside the next clue.

4.6

Robert Ironside wheeled his chair down the ramp, slowing it as he descended. Everyone followed him into the main room of the office/residence. He wheeled over to the table that had been set. The smell of the turkey was delightful. Katherine came out of the kitchen.

"It is a good thing you are back because this turkey is about to fall off the bones." She looked at Commissioner Randall and his wife. "Hello, Commissioner." Katherine smiled at him.

"Dennis, I think you have met Katherine." He pointed at the commissioner's wife and said, "This is Patricia Randall. Patricia, I would like you to meet Katherine Denuerve."

"The Denuerve Vineyards?" Patricia responded.

Katherine, delighted that the commissioner's wife was familiar with her vineyards, smiled again and replied, "That is correct. Then you have heard of them."

"Dennis brings home your wine quite often."

"I am sure Robert has had a hand in that."

"No, he didn't. I have just as good taste in wine as Bob does," Randall said quickly.

"Huh," Ironside grunted.

"Mark, if you would not mind helping, we can put dinner on the table."

"Mark can handle it, Katherine. You, come and sit down."

"I don't mind, Robert. I knew Mark was with you so I got the rest of the dinner ready." They headed for the kitchen.

"As soon as you get the reports back, I want to know what they say," Randall told Ironside.

"I can tell you what the test will say. There will be no fingerprints and it was a small but effective bomb that would have done the job had Fran not got the two of you out of there," Ironside said.

"Chief, I believe the man who tried to kill the commissioner was in that restaurant," Ed announced.

Everyone turned towards him as the chief asked, "Because of the man the waitress saw bent over at the table?"

"He made sure he did not turn his face to her," Ed explained.

"That is not the only thing," Carl interjected. "Duffy said the window in the men's bathroom was opened. The manager said that window is never opened."

"So he was there and left through the window before we got there," Eve said.

"No, I doubt that. He probably left as soon as Fran took the commissioner out of the restaurant," Ed disagreed.

Mark and Katherine put the Thanksgiving dinner on the table. Katherine then took her place beside Ironside as Mark sat down on the other side of the commissioner.

Randall thought about what Ed had suggested. "Why not walk right out the front door? After all, we would not have recognized him."

"We don't know that." Eve took the cranberries and began passing the dishes around the table.

"What are you saying Eve?" Ironside asked. "That he left because we would have known who he was?"

Eve knew her boss already knew that is what she was thinking and that he was stimulating her thoughts. He did that to get his staff thinking about the case to not miss anything. "It is a possibility."

"Another possibility is that he was afraid that if he had been seen there, he might be recognized at a future location," Mark offered.

"Ed, did you find out if there are any cameras in the Wharf?" Ironside inquired.

"Carl checked that," Ed told him, deferring the question to Lt. Reese.

"No cameras, Chief, but one waitress remembers a customer that had been sitting alone at a table which would have been perfect for observing the commissioner's table," Carl told them. "When she looked for him after the bomb went off, he was gone. We had that table dusted for prints."

"You won't find any," Ironside said. "But I still want to see that report as soon as it is available."

Katherine put turkey on Ironside's plate. "That is enough shop talk, gentlemen. Let's enjoy dinner. I realize this case is extremely important but so is the reason for this dinner."

Dennis raised his glass of wine. "Katherine is right. Despite what is going on, we all have a lot to be thankful for. To good friends, good people and good times."

Everyone drank to Randall's toast and the dinner conversation turned to things more of a personal nature. Ironside teased his staff and they him. Randall told stories of his earlier years with Ironside and everyone laughed at the chief's expense.

After dinner, Katherine and Mark served pumpkin pie and whipped cream. As dinner began to wind down, Mark put on a pot of coffee.

Everyone had for the moment forgotten the Scrabble game and the promise of murders placed in the clues. Then... the computer on the chief's desk came alive. Heads turned toward the computer voice that was now speaking to them. Immediately they left the table and moved to Ironside's desk.

**_Congratulations, Chief. You have solved the first clue. I knew it the minute Officer Belding approached the commissioner's table. You can tell the commissioner, he is safe thanks to you. Since you won this round, I will not touch him. You have won his life back._**

**_However, it is time for our Scrabble game to continue. I have selected the next person. As before, you will be given a clue that will identify who the target is, where the murder will be and when it will take place. As you did this time, if you solve the clue and stop the murder from happening, you will win back the life of the person targeted... that is IF you play by the rules. This time, you will not be allowed to use your staff to rescue the victim. You must save the person entirely on your own. They can help you solve the clue, although I suspect you are the one that solved the last one, but you and you alone must save the victim._**

**_If you fail to follow the rules, you will receive the next clue after the victim is killed. Be a good boy and you will receive the next clue and a chance to stop it._**

**_I think you will like the new rules. They will be different with each clue. Now for the clue. Remember, Chief, you must rescue this one on your own. Here is your Scrabble clue. _**The Scrabble board appeared on the screen with the new clue BEERGOLDHEAL. **_Good luck, Chief, ... well not really. I would like to spell murder this time!_**

Hacker


End file.
